My Love, My Life
by Xenolord
Summary: How many times? How many times will she go back and redo the same month in her life? As many damn times as it takes. Homura tries a more direct approach to saving Madoka. Maybe...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Author's Note: In Episode 8, we're shown around 5 different executions of the same month of Homura's life, each more damaging an outcome then the last. It's unclear exactly how many times Homura's repeated the same month. Ten? A hundred? A thousand, maybe. This is just a single possibility of how another of Homura's repeated months could have occurred. I know these are a dime a dozen anymore, but I love MadoxHomu, so... sue me.

Author's Note 2: I'm going to TRY to use the honorifics this time 'round, but they may not be perfect, so bear with me.

My Love, My Life

Prologue

My eyes sprang awake to the dismal, pale white of the hospital ceiling I've grown so accustomed to in recent months, each time I've failed in my plea to Madoka to protect her... each time she dies a horrible death I couldn't save her from... I find myself back here, trapped in an eternal time-loop from hell. A purgatory of my own making.

I had made the Contract with Kyuubey, that cannot be undone and I know as much. I was a Puella Magi for life, and eventually I would face the same end as all Puella Magi; dead at the hands of a Witch, or succumbing to their taint and joining their ranks. Until that time, however, I'd keep fighting. Each and every one of them... every single Witch, Familiar, or anything that gets in my way, I'd stop.

My mind drifted to the events of the last month, my memories blurred as I remembered shooting Madoka, my best friend's Soul Gem, destroying it and killing her in the process. I pushed the wave of emotions back into my mind, hoping never to access them again. It was too much, for myself or any normal person, to handle. I had become a shell of who I formally was, hard and cold on the outside, with all these mixed emotions I couldn't handle swimming around inside me.

I started school today for the... damn... I can't remember how many times I've done this. I think at last count it was eight, but I can't be sure. The transfer papers were filled out in my neat handwriting, and I felt much better then the previous 'day' by timeline standards. Throwing the cover from my body I hopped out of the bed and walked barefoot across the tile floor to the mirror in the corner. I looked myself over, my long hair falling gently across my back, my hazy purple eyes staring back at me. The only marred feature to this otherwise perfect figure of a girl was the scowl I had plastered almost permanently on my face.

It wouldn't do. I've tried the 'scary transfer student who never smiles' routine before, and it just ended with Sayaka turning into a Witch, and Mami loosing her damned mind, killing Kyoko. No... this time would be different... it HAD to be different. Closing my eyes and inhaling, I forced myself to smile to the mirror, and upon opening my eyes, found an image of exactly what it looked like. A cross girl forcing herself to smile. I dropped the fake emotion and thought. If I could correct my vision problems with my Soul Gem... maybe I could...

The ring around my finger turned into a small, purple egg-shaped object at my mental command, ready for whatever I had planned for it. I tried to think about Madoka, what kind of person she was, and what kind of people she associates with. She had two friends in Hitomi and Sayaka, both very friendly and outgoing, but weren't afraid to tell you what they thought of you. Placing my Soul Gem to my forehead and closing my eyes, I thought about it for a moment and felt a jolt surge through my spine, causing me to shiver. My Soul Gem returned to it's ring state as I opened my eyes to find a completely different Homura staring back at me. My usual droll expression was replaced with one that reminded me of my previous self, a sweet smile hanging on my lips both soothing and natural. My eyes were open fully, a change from my half-sleeping half-bored look I usually wore. My grin widened as my mind thought how satisfying the ability to change my visage to an extent at will. Today would harold a different outcome to the previous time lines.

"Oh! Ms. Akemi, you're awake!" The voice of a nurse reached my ear from the door. "You're awfully spry today, are you feeling better?" I gave a nod and a little laugh.

"Yes, thank you. I feel... like today's going to be the best day ever." The nurse returned both my smile and my laugh, happy that I was both awake and smiling.

"Are you ready for your first day at Mitakihara Academy today?" I nodded again, ready to try my meeting with Madoka for the gods knows how many'th time. "Glad to hear it! Usually when people have been out as long as you have, they tend to be a little shy around other people, but you seem quite confident of yourself. Here, follow me down to the lobby and we'll get you checked out, and your stuff loaded into a taxi for you." I bowed and followed the nurse to the front desk, ready for my discharge.

It had been like a broken record, played over in my head every time, dismissal from the hospital, a ten minute taxi ride to school, a few minutes of sitting in awkward silence for the teacher to introduce me to the class, followed by my faithful meeting with Madoka. Something about this reiteration of the same events, however, felt decidedly different to me. I couldn't quite place my finger on what exactly it was that made this particular time line so alien to me then the others, but I figured whatever if was would make itself known shortly. As I traveled through history, repeating the same month, I had noticed little differences in people and event time lines. For instance, when I first met Madoka, MY Madoka from my time line, she had been a Puella Magi for a week. The one after that, six days. The one after that, three. How much longer before I catch her before she even makes a contract?

My thoughts were disrupted by the teacher's all-too well known beginning introduction. "Class, today we have a transferr student I'd like you to welcome." She paused at this as I took my place before the white board and smiled cutely for everyone assembled. "This is Homura Akemi, she's spent the last six months in the hospital due to a heart condition, so I'd like you to be extra nice to her." She looked to me as I gave a smile to her, thanking her for the welcome introduction. "I've already told the school nurse about your condition, and he's got your medication there, so if you need to be shown where the infirmary is, speak to Madoka Kaname, she's our class's Health Representative, so get with her if you need to go." I gave a low, respectful bow to our Teacher. Quickly scanning the available seats, I found the one that had been empty every time I've come back here, the row one to Madoka's right, and right at the front of the class. Setting my small bag on the hook by the chair, I took the seat and slowly waited for class to begin.

The teacher had begun every lecture as she always did, a poor euphemism for love scrawled on the white board, an attempt to both tell us how we should allow love to govern us, and to make herself feel better for whatever fealties she believed she had. As class wound to a close, I began to dread this next part... and everything that came with it.

"Akemi-san!" A girl behind me called, rushing up behind me. "What school did you go to before? Where you in any clubs?" Before this sentence was finished, another girl had sidled up behind me to continue to train of thought. "A sports one? Or maybe arts!" Two more appeared from my peripherals and swarmed me. "Oh, Akemi-san you're hair is so long! It must be a pain to brush it every morning!" At about this time, before I finally decided to answer any of them, a pink-haired girl pushed her way past all the girls and cut in almost right away.

"Now, now, girls. Let's not crowed Akemi-san." She pushed them aside and smiled to me. "Sorry about that, they're just really excited about having a new transfer student today. They're rather rare these days." She stuck her hand out to me with a confidence in her actions. "Madoka Kaname. As the teacher said, I'm the Health Representative for the class. I heard you need to go and see the nurse about your medication, and I figured you didn't know where it was. Here, let me show you." I shook her hand courteously as the girl continued to hold it as she slowly pulled me up.

"Thank you..." I answered, despite knowing full well where the nurse's office was (I'd been there god knows how many times already) I took the offered hand and stood. She walked beside me, holding my hand gently, but with a powerful aura about her, as if this was the only important thing she's ever been trusted with. She kept a grip on my hand, vastly different from when the Madoka of my time line first walked me to the Nurse's office.

"I didn't know Puella Magi could get heart conditions." She finally spoke as we left the class, walking freely amongst the students, the din of their everyday lives drowning out our conversation for all but us. I nodded, somewhat relieved to know she knew OF the Puella Magi. If luck served, she hasn't become one. "Are you new as well?" She asked again, my heart sinking. 'As well'. It was indeed as I feared, she had become one already.

"You could say that." I answered quietly, her hand still entwined with mine. "How long have you been one?" I asked, trying to make for passable conversation. She giggled at my question and smiled.

"Oh, I'm not. I have a friend who is, though." Sayaka... much different from last time. "Well, a couple friends, actually, but I just met one of my friends yesterday." Most likely Mami was the 'just met' friend. The burden my heart held after hearing those words lifted. She might be saved yet. "So... if you don't mind me asking, what was your wish?" Talkative in this time line, wasn't she? I paused for a moment, trying to word this properly without seeming weird, or worse, a time-traveller.

"I wanted to see someone very close to me again... to protect them from harm... to bring them back..." That was about as close as I could get to the truth, and still have it be a lie. Madoka heaved a little at this, sighing.

"Wo-ow, Akemi-san..." She mused. "You risked your soul to return someone to life?" I gave a nod. "Did... it come true?" I gave another nod. "Wow... whoever this person is must be awfully special to you..."

"They are. I..." I paused for a moment, seeing if this was the right time. "I love them, I suppose you could say."

"Lucky guy..." She mused again, looking almost depressed. "I wish someone would be willing to make that kind of sacrifice for me..." Oh, Madoka... how little you knew.

"Can I..." I hope this wasn't too soon. "Can I call you Madoka?" She nodded and gave a happy sound.

"Only if I can call you Homura." I laughed and nodded to this. After all, it would be weird for two friends as close as us to be referring to each other by our last names. "Good! I was gonna do it anyway... it's such a cool name..." Her mind drifted off again as we arrived at the Nurse's office. "So... what's your power? If I can ask." I gave a crass smirk and flourished my hair with my unoccupied hand.

"Due time, Madoka. Due time." Bit of a play on words, but it was one that flew over the girl's head. She just seemed more enthralled by the mystery. Bidding the girl farewell for now, I entered the nurse's office and proceeded to pretend to take the pills I was supposed to, instead of swallowing them, I tucked them in my hand, between my fingers, hiding them until I was out of the office. Dumping the pills into the nearest trash can, I proceeded towards the club activities, deciding to settle on the 'not fabulous, but pretty good' athletic student, as not to draw too much attention. I kept pace with the rest of the class during track, and managed to not exhaust myself too quickly (A feat made much easier by the whole 'body being just a vessel, a useless shell without the soul' thing Kyuubey was so nice to keep from us.)

The rest of class passed with little interference from anything, and after school found me sitting down to tea with Madoka and her two friends, Sayaka and Mami, both of which I had met countless times before across equally countless time lines. Mami listened to Madoka's description of our meeting while twirling the little tea spoon silently in her cup After she finished the story, Mami gave her trademark tick of her head, followed by taking a little sip of her tea.

"So... you're a Puella Magi as well, are you?" I nodded, taking a small bite of the cake she had given us. I've had this cake god knows how many times, and it never gets old. "Interesting. Kyubey never told me about another in this city. Are you, perhaps from a different city?" My mind clicked a few times before I answered.

"Yes... I moved here not too long ago..."

"And the 'heart condition' thing?" Madoka chimed in, taking a sip from her own cup.

"I was hospitalized for a while, before I became a Puella Magi. I just had to finish the stay."

"Why didn't you just wish yourself out? Felt like the easy way out." Mami chimed in. That's right... Mami's wish was to save herself from death, so it would have been possible to have simply wished myself well. Provided, of course, I didn't have someone more important to save.

"I would have... but there was someone more important then myself I had to save."

"Ah, yes, this mysterious person who's so important to you, you'd risk your soul to save them. You must tell me more about him." I shifted uncomfortably where I sat, my knees tapping against the cushion silently. I wasn't sure how far into this conversation I wanted to go, but I suppose if I was going to save them, I'd have to be a little open with them.

"Well... They're my best friend... I've known them for... a while. They're always so nice to me, and they always protected me. I just... wanted to return the favor."

"Were they in the hospital, too?" Sayaka chimed in. "I might have seen them."

"No... no, they... died... a while ago... my wish was to save them..."

"Wow! I didn't know you could bring someone back to life with a wish!" Madoka smiled, probably thinking of the possibilities.

"You can't." Came the droll, too-cheerful voice of Kyubey, the unmistakable visage appearing in Mami's window. "We can fufill many wishes, but even the secrets of returning someone from the grave is beyond us. Whatever your wish was, Akemi Homura... it was not one of revival."

"Kyubey..." Mami muttered, pushing him away. "Don't interrupt. Just because YOU can't bring someone back, doesn't mean another can't."

"A very good argument, Tomoe Mami..." Kyubey muttered, his face almost twitching into a wider smile then normal. "...One that would hold more weight if I was not the only one of my people stationed on this planet." Mami, Sayaka and Madoka all turned to face me, with a look of both disbelief and shock.


	2. Akemi Homura: Time Traveler

Chapter One:

"Akemi Homura: Time Traveler"

There stares bore into my face like lasers through butter, each with a different emotion to them. Mami looked on with suspicion, as if I had been lying to her the whole time, while Sayaka seemed interested to see where this conversation would go. Madoka, on the other hand, kept smiling.

"If you must know, Kyuubey..." I started slowly, thinking my words over carefully. "It wasn't a wish of revival. It was a wish for a second chance." Vague, at best, but the ablino cat from hell picked up on it in an instant.

"Time travel, you mean." He leapt up onto the table and stared me bland in the face. "You're a time traveler." I shook my head, the title not completely true.

"Not exactly. I can go backwards, but not forwards... and I can stop and restart it. That's it." He continued to stare at me, his unblinking stare disturbing me now more then in previous iterations.

"Oh-ho, this I have GOT to see!" Sayaka chimed in, sitting up straight on her knees, now more interested then the other two combined.

"So this person you had saved. They are alive then?" Kyuubey continued, uninterrupted by Sayaka's outburst. I simply nodded, not wanting to go into to many details. "What is their name?"

"Not important." I answered instantly, wanting to end this line of conversation once and for all. With another tic of his head, Kyuubey continued to study me with his unblinking eyes. It was like he was sizing me up for a response.

"Very well." He finally answered, walking away. I sighed inwardly so none could see. "But take me to heart, Akemi Homura. You will be called to answer this question in the future."

"And that's alright with me. Just not now." I continued, taking a sip from my tea.

"Enough interrogations for now, Kyuubey. Homura-chan's our guest, and she'll be treated with respect." Mami turned to me with a sorrowful grimace as Kyuubey leapt out the open window . "I must apologize for Kyuubey. He... doesn't understand us."

"I know. And I forgive." I gritted out, the words of forgiveness like poison to my tongue.

"Enough of the apologizing! I wanna see her stop time!" Oh, Sayaka, always the simple-minded one.

"You know you wouldn't be able to pick up on it. From your point of view, things would happen instantly, with no manipulation on anyone's part." Sayaka seemed unaffected by this statement, her excitement only grew.

"I don't care! I wanna see you do it!"

"Sayaka-chan... a Puella Magi's powers are not for personal gain..." Mami muttered like a motherly figure. As a side note, she continued through her tea: "Otherwise I'd've shot a few people already." Sayaka seemed burned from that statement, but her enthusiasm never dulled.

"I know... but it's so cool!" Turning back, she almost pleaded. "Please? Just one?" I gave a little smile and stood.

"One. And only one. It shouldn't hurt." Clutching a fist, my school uniform vanished in a flash of purple light, the light purple garments that made up my suit replaced them, the small silver disk fixed fast on my left arm. Giving it a twist, everything went to gray-scale for me, time freezing in it's place. Provided I move little, I could stay like this for a good long while, about half an hour to me. Picking up the tea cup I continued to sip the tea as I thought of how I could use this little window of opportunity, to prove to Sayaka and the others I could really freeze time.

I took my time with the tea, sipping it slowly as I thought. My gaze turned to Madoka, then to Mami, both frozen in place like statues, Madoka looking at Sayaka's eager face, while Mami raised a bit of cake to her mouth, ready for consumption. A sly smile came to my face as I thought of a way to get a chuckle, as well as prove my power. Taking my time, I stood Mami, Sayaka and Madoka up, positioning them in a triangle around the table, arms out-stretched to one-another, an arm pointing at each girl. From behind the disk on my arm, I drew portions of my vast arsenal, six pistols to be exact, and place a pistol in each girl's hand, the whole seen looking of a Mexican Stand-Off in old western movies. Taking another plate of cake, I situated myself on the nearby couch, fork at a ready, and resumed time. Madoka was the first to react, releasing an ear-splitting screech, dropping the guns to the ground. Sayaka seemed too petrified to move, while Mami only laughed, setting them lightly on the table.

"Should really start carrying a camera on me, ya know. The looks on your faces." I muttered, taking a bite from the cake.

"Guns are scary!" I heard Madoka chime, brushing her hands on her chest, trying to get the metal smell off them.

"How'd you do that?" Mami asked, still in disbelief.

"I told you. Time stop." I moved over to the discarded firearms and collected the ones Madoka dropped. "As for the guns well..." Slipping them back behind the disk they vanished back into the nether, ready for use should I ever need them again. "I keep a few handy. Just in case." Prying the guns from Sayaka's hands, I returned them as well, Mami gladly handing hers to me.

"Guns and time control?" Mami mused, thinking to herself, she sat back down and started at her cake again. "You could do a sizable chunk of damage with that combination."

"Aren't Witches... I dunno? Immune to guns?"

"No more then you are, Sayaka-chan." Mami responded, lifting the cup to her lips. "It's true they're not as effective as more magical means, but they work. Otherwise, I'd have been dead a long time ago." An image of Madoka shattering Mami's Soul Gem with an arrow flashed in my mind for a moment, retreating as fast as it came. I winced a little, but showed no overt outward discomfort. "Speaking of which, Homura-chan, you should come with us on our next Witch-Hunt. Sayaka's still a bit green, so she could learn from the example of someone as seasoned as you."

"I'm not as seasoned as I look. I think you're the veteran of the group still, Mami-san." Mami took the compliment to heart and nodded.

"Ah, true, true. Even though, you should still come. I've been hunting a specific Witch since last Thursday, the sly devil getting away from me each time. The back-up would be greatly appreciated." I considered the alternatives and, given my condition, could use a little warm-up exercise.

"Sure, I'll go with you." Mami smiled and took hold of one of the nearby napkins, producing a pen from one of her pockets.

"Excellent. Here..." She jotted down a phone number on the napkin and handed it to me. "This is my number, if you need help, call me."

"Ooh! Oh, here, take mine too!" Madoka continued, writing hers next to Mami's. "In case Mami-san's not available, I can probably find her." I took the napkin as I changed back to my school uniform in another purple flash. Retrieving my cell phone from my pocket, I put in the numbers well... Madoka's anyway. I already had Mami's from the last six times I've tried this month.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to give you a call if I need help." Mami was satisfied with my response and nodded.

"Now, don't you kids have somewhere to be shortly?" Mami continued, addressing Sayaka and Madoka, hinting they needed to be back with their families. Sayaka finally managed to shake herself from her shock, nodding.

"Yea... yea, I gotta get home... thank you for – eh... the tea, Mami-san..." She finished the cup and stood, bowing to everyone. "I'll see you all at school, I guess." Madoka followed suit, standing, bowing, and following Sayaka out the door. I was left alone with Mami as she poured herself another cup, offering me one as she calmed herself. I refused the offered cup politely, having some things I needed to do myself.

"So, Homura-chan..." She began as the door shut behind Madoka and Sayaka. "I hate to stoop to Kyuubey's level but... who did you want to come back? You can tell me. I don't kiss and tell." I laughed a little at her last sentence and placed the saucer on the glass table top, stood and gave a curt bow.

"That's good to hear, Mami-san. You'll be happy to know I don't either." As I walked out of the small apartment, I could hear Mami give me a satisfactory chuckle. I was out the door and down the stairs before I was confronted again by Kyuubey.

"I can honestly say, Akemi Homura..." He began, his face smiling eternally at me. "I have no idea what your goals are." I ignored the thing, continuing to walk in whatever direction kept me going the longest.

"No, of course you don't." I answered, a sliver of my old self rearing it's head once more. Kyuubey, regardless of what I did, always had some ability to make me just... angry. "You don't understand anything about us humans, do you? Emotions, the value of life, love, friendship. It's just a battery to you, isn't it?"

"You know so much about me, yet I know little of you." He answered, keeping pace with me. Admittedly, it's how I would have preferred it, keep him in the dark as long as humanly possible. I kept walking, towards the old abandoned hospital on the edge of town, where our conflict with Gertrud happened so many times. I chose my answers and actions carefully, even knowing full well whatever I told or did to Kyuubey he would keep to himself, I felt it was useless to attack him.

"I'm a Puella Magi." I answered slowly. "I fight Witches." I continued, turning the ring on my finger into my Soul Gem, holding it in the palm of my hand, watching as it glowed bright. "What more do you need to know?" A rippled before me caught my attention, a Witch's barrier was here. It might have been the Witch Mami was referring to, but if it was, why would she allow it to fester here, when it's so close I could practically smell it. Literally. With a flash of purple, I transformed, pulling a pistol from behind my disk.

"And yet you know exactly where to go for this particular Witch." He paused for a moment before continuing. "How many times have you killed this one?"

"Personally?" I asked more sarcastically then not. "Five." He ticked his head to the right some as I stepped through the barrier into her maze. He wasn't far behind as I made my way through the Cotton-Ball Barber creatures that were her Familiars. Most avoided me, fear present on their near-invisible faces, but a few stood up, only to get gunned down in the process.

The path to the Witch was one I had burned into my memory, the journey being nothing more then simply retracing my steps from my last visits. The journey was long, uneventful, and boring, consisting of no more then twelve of her Familiars possessing a spine to attack, all of which figured out cotton was not a good protector from bullets. Kicking the exit doors open, I came into the massive expanse that was the arena-like structure where the Witch herself resided. "Hello, Ugly." I droned, dropping from the overlook into the arena, landing on my toes, giving my hair a flourish as I landed. Flashy and fancy, just the way I liked it. "I've got somewhere to be soon, so I'll make this quick. For both of us." Discarding the empty pistol, I retrieved the M60 from within the confines of the nether, drawing the bolt back on the heavy machine gun. "Nice and quick..." Steady hands and a practiced aim was one of the many things I had acquired in all my tries and fails of this month.

I've gone from a gun-shy girl with pig tails and glasses to a gun-toting mean bitch with more fire-power then the entire world's military combined. The disk on my arm made it's tell-tale click as the world froze around me, the Witch frozen like a painting in time, a sitting duck. The ammo belt on the M60 emptied quickly, all 200 rounds leaving the gun in the span of about a minute, a barrage of bullets suspended before me, just ready for time to resume so they could wreak havoc. Discarding the empty weapon, I dove back into the nether behind my disk and retrieved another, fully-loaded M60, pulled the bolt back on this one as well, and emptied it as well.

My feet never moved as weapon after weapon was removed from the nether, loaded and ready, then promptly emptied into the Witch as she stared uselessly at me as a still-frame picture smiles as you toss it into the fire. Pistols, machine guns, grenades, pipe bombs, hell, even a couple of rockets were frozen as they prepared to lay waste to the Witch. The last bullet leaving the pistol in my hand, I heard my disk start to chime an end to the time stop. In short seconds, all that lead would find it's way to Gurtrud's heart, killing her.

Discarding the last pistol, I took an aggressive stance, my fingers in the shape of a gun, and waited for the time stop to end, resuming. "Bang." I mused as time started, the Witch erupting into a shower of fire and sparks as the munitions found their marks all at once, a blitzkrieg that would have made world leaders jealous. It was over quite literally before it began, the barrier dispersing to the hospital wing, showing the Witch was dead. From the rafters of the decrepit ceiling came the small image of the source of all that Witch's hate, anger and suffering, a Grief Seed. The heels of my boots tapped on the moss-covered tile as I took a few steps forward towards the small black object lodged in the ground. Pulling it from the ground, I stared at it for a moment.

"You certainly do know your way around a Witch, Akemi Homura..." Kyuubey chimed in again as I slipped the Grief Seed into the nether. I didn't bother giving this statement any credence, pretending that I didn't even hear him as I walked away from the hospital. It was already dark, and I was starting to feel very fatigued from the day in general, so towards home I started, my footsteps serving as a gentle reminder that I was still alive. "So, is this how you plan on going about your life, then? Ignoring my very presence?" As he continued to speak, images of Sayaka turning into a Witch filled my head, causing me to come to a stop and close my eyes, fighting the images off.

"If I can get away with it, yes. You've cost me enough as is." I droned, turning to face the white cat. "I've watched my friends die horrible deaths because of you, and I don't plan on seeing it anymore. As it stands, Incubator, I want nothing to do with you, regardless of how interesting you find me." Kyuubey continued to stare at me with those eyes and that smile, stupidly unawares of what I was saying.

"You are a most interesting subject, Akemi Homura..." He started to walk past me towards god knows where. "Most interesting indeed..." I don't want to be interesting. I don't care about you, or Mami, or anyone else... I only care about Madoka... That's all I've ever cared about, and that's all I'll ever care about. I shook my head, putting a hand to my forehead. Ah, what was I saying? No one could hear my well-placed retort, nor would anyone really care to do so. Stepping out of the derelict building, I took a look around the dying sunlight, my brain searching itself for something to do with the remainder of the day.

"Homura!" Came a voice from my front-left, the blue-haired figure of Sayaka sprinting towards me, the most ridiculous getup on her. She looked like a bad movie hero with that silly cap flapping behind her. Sliding to a stop before me, she inhaled once to catch her breath, then continued. "I sensed a Witch around here... but now it's gone... did you-?"

"Yes." I answered plainly, the girl's face draining. She looked about, trying to find some response to what I had done.

"Mami doesn't want us fighting alone! It's too-"

"Dangerous? You're right. You and Mami should stay together. I've been doing this... for a while. I know what I'm doing." She flushed an angered red.

"Arrogance, that's what it is!" I reached into the nether and retrieved the Grief Seed I had claimed, holding it to her. "What's this?" She muttered, taking it.

"A peace offering. Take it, and be sure to use it."

"A Grief Seed? But-"

"Trust me, Sayaka. You need it." Her eyes bounced from my face to the Grief Seed, then back to my face, almost as if she couldn't quite comprehend what exactly I was saying. "I don't want you to hate me, Sayaka. I don't want anyone to hate me... I'm... complicated. As both a Puella Magi, and a person. Please... just bear with me... and take what you see at face value. I know it looks like arrogance, I know you may not like it... but with my abilities... I don't have to take risks." She nodded, seeming to understand what I was saying now.

"I don't hate you, Homura..." She muttered, looking me over. "You're... strange, maybe a little scary at first... but I don't hate you." She loosened some, smiling. "Besides, how long would we last in our line of work if we spent the whole time looking over our shoulders?" I cracked a smile at this, and even chuckled.

"You're right... We wouldn't get very far at all, would we?"

"No. No, we certainly wouldn't. Listen, Madoka and I are going to meet Mami back at her apartment tomorrow night. Just wanted to make sure you knew the when and where." I gave her a smile and a nod, the suit disappearing off my body as my uniform returned. Sayaka clutched the grief seed and nodded, her ridiculous suit vanishing into a blue flash. "Tomorrow at six. Don't be late Lady Time Stop." Lady Time Stop... I liked it. I gave her a loose salute as I turned around.

"See you tomorrow, Sayaka-chan."

"See you tomorrow."

The pair of us parted ways for a time, Sayaka returning to her home, and I returned to my apartment for some quiet contemplation.


End file.
